Consider the following characteristics of houses:

A. Wooden floor and wooden flat ceilings

B. Ground floor without window for animals and storing necessary materials

C. Elevated houses made with slanting roofs and the stone pillars

D. Thick walls made of stones, mud and lime

The characteristics found in the houses of Leh and Ladakh are

The correct option is A, B and D.

To understand the characteristics of houses in Leh and Ladakh, let us examine the geographical and climatic features of this region and how they influence traditional architecture:
Leh and Ladakh is a high-altitude, cold desert region located in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. It experiences extremely cold winters and receives very little rainfall.

Based on these conditions, traditional houses are designed with specific features to adapt to the climate:

• Wooden floors and flat wooden ceilings (Characteristic A): Wood is a poor conductor of heat. Wooden floors and wooden ceilings help in trapping heat and keeping the rooms warm during freezing winters. Flat roofs are highly functional in this low-rainfall region, serving as a space for drying crops, vegetables, and fruits in the sun.
• Ground floor without windows (Characteristic B): The houses are typically two-storied. The ground floor does not have any windows to prevent cold drafts. It is primarily used to shelter domestic animals and store essential winter provisions. During periods of extreme cold, families often move to the ground floor to benefit from the natural insulation.
• Thick walls of stone, mud, and lime (Characteristic D): To insulate the interiors against the biting cold, the walls are built thick using locally available stones plastered with a thick layer of mud and lime. This provides thermal mass, keeping the heat inside the house.

On the other hand, Characteristic C (Elevated houses made with slanting roofs and stone pillars) is incorrect for Leh and Ladakh. Elevated houses built on pillars are characteristic of regions with heavy rainfall and frequent flooding, such as Assam. Similarly, slanting roofs are common in regions with heavy rain or snowfall, whereas Ladakh, being a cold desert, relies on flat roofs.

Therefore, characteristics A, B, and D are found in the houses of Leh and Ladakh.